Sign up to receive free email alerts when patent applications with chosen keywords are publishedSIGN UP

Abstract:

A method of monitoring the status of rear seat belts includes the
following steps namely attaching wireless belt sensors including a belt
portion to a seat belt and an anchor portion to a seat belt anchor; and
installing a monitor into the vehicle; and turning on the belt sensors
and the monitor; and sending wireless signals from the sensors to the
monitor confirming the seatbelt engagement status; and displaying the
seat belt status to the driver of the vehicle with a monitor display.
Preferably the method includes the step of displaying the seat belt
status visually with visual signals displayed by the monitor.

Claims:

1) A method of monitoring status of rear seat belts comprising the
following steps: a) attaching wireless belt sensors including a belt
portion to a seat belt and an anchor portion to a seat belt anchor; b)
installing a monitor into the vehicle; c) turning on the belt sensors and
the monitor; d) sending wireless signals from the sensors to the monitor
confirming the seatbelt engagement status; e) displaying the seat belt
status to the driver of the vehicle with a monitor display.

1) The method claimed in claim 1 further including the step of displaying
the seat belt status visually with visual signals displayed by the
monitor.

2) The method claimed in claim 1 further including the step of displaying
the seat belt status audibly through sounds emitted by the monitor.

3) The method claimed in claim 1 further including the step of recording
all seat belt engagements and disengagements over time and creating a log
of seatbelt engagements and disengagements in a memory of the monitor.

4) The method claimed in claim 1 further including the step of
continuously verifying and recording the battery status and whether or
not the batteries are low and are requiring replacement and recording the
status of the batteries in the memory of the monitor.

5) The method claimed in claim 1 further including the step of recording
malfunctions of any of the seat belt sensors and displaying on the
monitor whether or not any of the seatbelt sensors are defective or not
working and recording any malfunctions in the memory of the monitor.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present device relates to systems for monitoring seat belt
function in particular relates to a seat belt monitoring system and
method of use including wireless monitors and sensors for monitoring the
status of rear seat belts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Currently passenger vehicles such as automobiles, light trucks and
buses are often outfitted with seat belts that are not monitored in any
way by the driver to determine whether or not the seat belt is engaged or
malfunctioning.

[0003] In passenger automobiles for example there are devices which sense
the use of the engagement of front passenger seat belts however normally
there is no indication for the driver as to the status or engagement of
rear seat belts. Therefore the driver of the vehicle will not be made
aware of for example if a rear passenger has disengaged one of the rear
seat belts either intentionally or accidentally as may happen in the case
of an infant and/or young child sitting in the rear seat.

[0004] Furthermore in commercial vehicles such as buses it is impossible
for the bus driver to monitor the status of seat belts throughout the
entire bus. There is no system for alerting the driver that children,
which are riding on a bus, have or have not engaged the seat belt
properly.

[0005] Therefore there is a need for a system and method of monitoring the
status of seat belt engagement in the rear seats of passenger vehicles
and light trucks as well as commercial vehicles such as buses to ensure
the safety of the passengers aboard these vehicles and also to help the
driver in determining whether or not the passengers on board his vehicle
have properly engaged the seat belts and safety restraint devices that
are available for use on board the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present device will now be described by way of example only
with reference to the following drawings in which;

[0007] FIG. 1 is a side devotional view of a monitor.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a top elevational view of the monitor shown in FIG. 1.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a top, side schematic perspective view of the monitor
shown in FIG. 2.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a top, side elevational view of the anchor and belt
portions of the sensor.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the anchor and belt portions
of the sensor.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a bottom side elevational view of the anchor and belt
portions of the sensor.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a bottom side perspective view of the anchor and belt
portions of the sensor.

[0014] FIG. 8 is a top side schematic perspective view of the anchor and
belt portions of the sensor.

[0015] FIG. 9 is a top schematic perspective view of the anchor and belt
portions of the sensor deployed onto the seat belt and seat belt anchor
shown in the disengaged position.

[0016] FIG. 10 is a top schematic perspective view of the anchor and belt
portions of the sensor deployed on the seat belt and seat belt anchor
shown in the engaged position.

[0017] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of the monitor mounted onto
the dash inside of a vehicle.

[0018] FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of the sensors mounted onto
the seat belt and the seat belt anchor in the rear seat of a vehicle.

[0019] FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of a vehicle as shown with a
monitor mounted onto a dash as well as the sensors mounted onto the seat
belt and seat belt anchors of a rear seat of the automobile.

[0020] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the method of use of the seat belt
monitoring system.

[0021]FIG. 15 is an alternate of the method of use of the seat belt
monitoring system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The present device a seat belt monitoring system and method of use
is comprised of the following major components namely a wireless monitor
100 which communicates wirelessly with sensors 200.

[0023] Monitor 100 includes a case 102 which is made up of a top portion
104 and a bottom portion 106.

[0024] Monitor 100 includes a display 108 in the top portion 104 of case
102 as well as lower buttons 110 and upper button 112.

[0025] The number of buttons depicted in the diagram are schematic in
nature and the actual monitor 100 may include a different number of lower
buttons and upper buttons as that depicted in FIGS. 2 & 3.

[0028] Sensors 200 include a belt portion 202, which is affixed to the
seat belt 230 and an anchor portion 204 which is affixed to the seat belt
anchor 232.

[0029] Belt portion 202 includes a top side 206 and a bottom side 208 and
as well a sensor 210. Anchor portion 204 includes a top side 212 and a
bottom side 214 as well as a sensor 210

[0030] Sensor 210 is a proximity sensor of the type known in the art and
can include an inductive type sensor, a capacitive type sensor, a radio
frequency type proximity sensor, a wireless proximity sensor, and/or any
other type of proximity sensor which will allow one to monitor the
proximity between the belt portion 202 and the anchor portion 204.

[0032] In practice seat belt portion 202 is releasably affixed to seat
belt 230 and anchor portion 204 is releasably affixed to seat belt anchor
232. Belt portion 202 and anchor portion 204 are likely spaced on either
side of buckle 234 however it is possible that either anchor portion 204
and/or belt portion 202 may in fact overlap overtop of buckle 234 if it
is necessary in order to obtain the optimum spacing between sensors 210
of the belt portion 202 and the anchor portion 204.

In Use

[0033] As shown in FIG. 11 preferably monitor 100 is mounted onto the dash
150 of a vehicle.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 12 belt portion 202 of sensor 200 is attached to
seat belt 230 and anchor portion 204 of sensor 200 is attached to seat
belt anchor 232 such that when the seat belt is in the engaged position
240 as shown in FIG. 10 the sensors determine that in fact the anchor
portion 204 and the belt portion 202 are in close enough proximity that
they would determine that the seat belt has been properly engaged.

[0035] In the disengaged position 242 as shown in FIG. 9 proximity sensors
210 of belt portion 202 and anchor portion 204 would determine that the
space between sensors 210 has become so large that it is not possible
that seat belt 230 and seat belt anchor 232 are any longer in the engaged
position 240 and in fact seat belt and seat belt anchor 232 have become
placed in the disengaged position 242 indicating that the seat belt is no
longer engaged.

[0039] One of the methods of use of the seatbelt monitoring system is
shown in a schematic flowchart fashion in FIG. 14 as follows; [0040] 1.
Attaching wireless belt sensors to the seat belt and seat belt anchor
shown as 302 in FIG. 14. [0041] 2. Installing the monitor into the
vehicle preferably onto the dash shown as 304 in FIG. 14. [0042] 3.
Turning on the belt sensors and the monitor shown as 306 in FIG. 14.
[0043] 4. The belt sensors sending wireless signals to the monitor
confirming the seatbelt engagement status shown as 308 in FIG. 14. [0044]
5. The monitoring displaying the seat belt status to the driver of the
vehicle shown as 310 in FIG. 14.

[0045] An alternate method of use of the seat belt monitoring system is
depicted in flowchart fashion in FIG. 15 as follows: [0046] 1.
Attaching the wireless belt sensors to the seat belt and seat belts
anchors shown as 302 in FIG. 15. [0047] 2. Installing the monitor
preferably onto the dash into the vehicle shown as 304 in FIG. 15. [0048]
3. Turning on the seat belt sensors and also the monitor shown as 306 in
FIG. 15. [0049] 4. The belt sensors then sending wireless signals to the
monitor confirming seat belt engagement status shown as 308 in FIG. 15.
[0050] 5. The monitoring displaying the seat belt status visually through
lights and audibly through sounds shown as 312 in FIG. 15. [0051] 6. The
monitor in recording all seat belt engagements and disengagements over
time and creating a log of seatbelt engagements and disengagements shown
as 314 in FIG. 15. [0052] 7. The monitoring continuously verifying and
recording the battery status and whether or not the batteries are low and
are requiring replacement and recording over time the status of the
batteries shown as 316 in FIG. 15. [0053] 8. The monitor recording
malfunctions of any of the seat belt sensors and displaying whether or
not any of the seatbelt sensors are defective or not working in recording
any malfunctions over time shown as 318 in FIG. 15.

[0054] A method of monitoring status of rear seat belts includes the
following steps: [0055] a) attaching wireless belt sensors including a
belt portion to a seat belt and an anchor portion to a seat belt anchor;
[0056] b) installing a monitor into the vehicle; [0057] c) turning on the
belt sensors and the monitor; [0058] d) sending wireless signals from the
sensors to the monitor confirming the seatbelt engagement status; [0059]
e) displaying the seat belt status to the driver of the vehicle with a
monitor display.

[0060] The method further including the step of displaying the seat belt
status visually with visual signals displayed by the monitor.

[0061] The method further including the step of displaying the seat belt
status audibly through sounds emitted by the monitor.

[0062] The method further including the step of recording all seat belt
engagements and disengagements over time and creating a log of seatbelt
engagements and disengagements in a memory of the monitor.

[0063] The method further including the step of continuously verifying and
recording the battery status and whether or not the batteries are low and
are requiring replacement and recording the status of the batteries in
the memory of the monitor.

[0064] The method further including the step of recording malfunctions of
any of the seat belt sensors and displaying on the monitor whether or not
any of the seatbelt sensors are defective or not working and recording
any malfunctions in the memory of the monitor.

[0065] It should be apparent to persons skilled in the art of various
modification and adaptations of the structure described above are
possible without departure from the spirit of the invention the scope of
which is defined in the appended claims.